Nat Geo to Distribute ‘Restrepo’ in U.S.

National Geographic Entertainment has picked up the U.S. theatrical rights to "Restrepo," the documentary that follows a platoon of American soldiers in Afghanistan by journalists Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger.

Winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s grand jury documentary prize, the film is set for release July 2. National Geographic Channel, which took worldwide TV rights earlier this year, will broadcast it in the fall.

The film chronicles the deployment of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, focusing on a remote 15-man outpost, “Restrepo”, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action.

It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. The cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90 minute deployment, according to the producers.